The Insulated Render and Cladding Association (INCA) has written an open letter to Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Edward Davey calling on Government to maintain the existing levels of solid wall insulation (SWI) under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO).

The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) is an energy efficiency programme, introduced at the start of 2013, which places legal obligations on the larger energy suppliers to deliver energy efficiency measures to homes to reduce carbon emissions and tackle fuel poverty.

ECO is intended to work alongside the Green Deal with a particular focus on low income and vulnerable consumer groups and so called hard-to-treat homes.

The Government recently announced a number of proposed changes to ECO designed to reduce household fuel bills.

These include reducing the annual target of SWI installations from 65,000 to a yearly minima of 25,000 (100,000 installations by 2017) and allowing energy companies to insulate easy-to-treat cavity walls and lofts as part of their carbon targets. INCA strongly believes that the proposed changes will have a hugely adverse impact on homeowners, the UK’s carbon reduction targets, the economy, and the future of an innovative industry that has invested heavily in the potential of ECO and is showing substantial growth.

INCA is therefore calling on Government to:

1. Increase the SWI minima to at least 65,000 installations per year (260,000 installations by 2017)

2. Set a maximum on the number of easy-to-treat cavity wall and loft insulation measures that can be installed under the Carbon Emissions Reduction Obligation (CERO) of ECO.

3. Work with the industry to offer a carbon life of 42 years for all SWI measures in line with cavity wall insulation to make it more cost effective to deliver SWI under ECO.

INCA Chairman Mike Threadgold said:

“The SWI industry was encouraged and supported by Government to invest in upscaling capacity to meet demand under ECO based on 65,000 installations per year. Maintaining the original annual target will ensure that the most vulnerable in society receive the greatest benefits from ECO, all homeowners see a reduction in their energy bills, the UK meets its carbon reduction targets, and employment levels and growth are maintained in a sector that has huge potential for the UK economy.”

Businesses affected by the proposed changes to ECO can show their support for the INCA position by signing up at www.inca-ltd.org.uk/eco-swi.

The proposed changes to ECO announced by DECC on 2 December 2013 can be viewed by clicking here.